Typically, domain ownership lasts a maximum of 10 years; after that, it expires, meaning that no one owns a domain.
Someone else may claim ownership if a domain expires and the original owner fails to renew it. Before a domain moves to the expired status, it passes through many phases.
This article walks you through the GoDaddy domain lifecycle to help you grasp domain expiry and renewal on GoDaddy.
After the GoDaddy domain expiration, your domain name will be suspended and dormant. As a result, your email and website will stop working.
When your GoDaddy domain expires, several stages follow, spanning 72 days. These stages include auto-renewal attempts, grace periods, redemption periods, auctions, and deletions.
The official expiration of a domain on GoDaddy occurs after the thirty-day redemption period. If you choose not to renew your domain after the redemption period, GoDaddy will delete it.
The redemption period offers a second chance to renew your domain.
Throughout the redemption, GoDaddy will repeatedly attempt to renew your domain automatically. GoDaddy will put your domain on hold should auto-renewal fail, even though your domain will still be in your account. Then, you can manually renew it by paying a redemption fee.
After the redemption period, lapsed domains are open for auction. Typically, they are put up for sale 15 days through GoDaddy Auctions, and the highest bidder wins the domain.
However, the domain may not be sold. If this happens, GoDaddy will delete it after 30 days. When the registry releases it, it becomes available to the public for domain registration.
Let’s explore the steps in the GoDaddy domain lifecycle:
The domain life cycle begins when you register the domain and ends when it is deleted and returned to the public marketplace for general registration. Once another buyer has registered the domain, it starts another lifecycle.
+1 Day: Once the domain expires, GoDaddy will try to auto-renew it, or you can manually renew it at the standard price.
+ Day 5: GoDaddy tries to renew it again automatically. If this attempt fails, the domain gets parked. Your website and email will stop working, but you can still manually renew them at the standard price.
+ Day 12: GoDaddy tries one last time to renew automatically.
+ Day 19: If auto-renewal fails and you still don't renew it, your domain will be put on hold. It will remain in your account but won't be active. You can still manually renew it, but you must pay a redemption fee to reclaim it from this stage.
+ Day 26: Your domain will be put up for sale, but you can still renew it when you pay the actual price plus the redemption fee.
+ Day 30: If there are no bids on your domain, the domain expires. It will remain in your account, but you can still renew it. Once there's a bid, the domain will be removed from your account, and you will lose the right to renew it.
+ Day 36: Domain goes to the final closeout public sale stage. If there has been a bid and it's pending purchase, you can't manually renew it. However, if there's none, you can still renew it.
+ Day 41: The final sale closes, and the domain will remain in your account for another 30 days. You can still manually renew the domain at this stage for the standard price plus the redemption fee.
+ Day 72: GoDaddy removes the domain from your account, and you can't recover it again. It goes to the registry, and you can only report it once it decides to release it for general registration.
Consequences of Domain Expiration: What's at Stake?
Below are some consequences of domain expiration:
After your domain is suspended, your business email and site will stop working. You cannot access them, and customers cannot reach you online or email.
Your website's SEO and brand online presence could also be affected when your domain expires. If your site disappears for a while, your search engine ranking and brand reputation could also suffer.
Domain squatting can occur once your domain has expired and someone buys it. Domain squatting is when someone registers a domain to profit from it. This can incur financial and legal costs.
You can manually renew your domain following these steps if you do not choose auto-renewal.
● Sign in to your GoDaddy Domain Portfolio.
● Click ‘Expiration’ to find lapsed domains.
● Choose a filter and select ‘Apply’ to filter your domain list.
● Tick the checkbox close to the domain name you want to renew.
● Navigate to the action menu and select ‘Renew Now.’
● Choose a renewal setting and select ‘Continue.’
● Check out of the cart by making payments.
You still have the opportunity to recover your domain manually within the redemption period. However, this incurs further charges, known as a redemption fee, which ranges between $80 and $100.
After the redemption period, domains may go for public sale.
GoDaddy Auctions is an aftermarket where expired domains are sold. GoDaddy expired domains go for public sale for ten days, and if there's a bid, the domain leaves your account, and you can no longer renew it. However, if there are no bids, it gets deleted after a 30-day timeframe.
If you still want your perfect domain name, there's good news. You can still get your domain during the public sale stage. If there are no bids for the domain, you can manually renew it.
However, if there is a bid for your domain, you must join others. If yours is the winning bid, you get back your domain name. You can also choose to place a backorder.
Below are two best practices to make sure you prevent future GoDaddy domain expiration.
Follow the related steps, and GoDaddy's auto-renewal option will ensure that you won't lose access to the domain when your term ends.
Here's the method for how to set auto-renewal for the protection of your domain:
● Go to the ‘Renewals and Billings’ page.
● Ensure the checkbox next to the domain you want is selected to auto-renew.
● Select ‘Auto-renew On’ at the top of the page.
When your domain approaches its expiration date, GoDaddy will send a reminder link via email. However, you may required to enter reminders and expiration alerts using calendars, Expireddomain.net, or Whois domain monitoring.
Regarding domain expiration, there are certain unique circumstances to take into account:
General renewal rules don’t apply to country code top-level domains (ccTLDs), which are more specific than popular extensions like .com and .net. For more information, read the Godaddy Help article.
You also don't need to renew your domain when transferring it to another registrar. Just follow the necessary steps to transfer your domain.
After your venture domain expires, GoDaddy offers a 30-day redemption chance. It will be deleted automatically if you still don’t redeem it within that period.
Once the grace period ends, you won't be able to pay the initial cost to secure your domain. You must pay an extra fee, called a redemption fee.
GoDaddy releases expired domains for auction after the redemption period.
To determine the domain expiration date, log in with your GoDaddy domain account; under "Manage," scroll to "Expiration Date.”
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